Overview

The Traffic Channel serves as the entry point for a lead into the system. A lead (such as a student) has the option to enter at the Client's website through a designated path referred to as the Traffic Channel. In the system, these are segregated into following: 

1. Publisher Campaign
2. Paid Ads
3. Organic
4. Social
5. Referral
6. Direct
7. Others
8. Telephony
9. Offline 
10. Chats.

Note: At Meritto, we accumulate unique email IDs from leads. Therefore, whenever a lead arrives through the specific channel and submits a unique email ID, it gets mapped within the system.

List of Traffic Channels

1. Publisher Campaigns: Publishers are online content creators in the educational space who gather student data through online platforms. They achieve this by presenting students with forms to fill in their details, which are then sent to various colleges .Publishers (such as Shiksha, Career 360, etc.) execute diverse marketing campaigns based on market requirements. Ultimately, their objective is to attract students and guide them to different colleges to provide their information. Afterward, it is at the college's discretion whether to convert those leads into applicants or not.
   When a lead enters the website with specific utm_source information and proceeds to enter their details  that lead is mapped with the corresponding Publisher campaign.
   Utm_source: A Beginners Guide to Tracking with UTM Parameters
2.  Paid Ads: In the digital realm, various advertising methods are employed to drive traffic to websites. One effective approach involves displaying Banner Ads of particular colleges to entice the audience. When clicked, these ads redirect users to a space where they can provide their details and have their data captured.
   Some of the channels that operate within this category include Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and others. Whenever a lead arrives in the system by engaging with such advertisements, it is categorized as a "Paid Ads" lead. In the Meritto system, these leads are identified and grouped under the "Paid Ads" category.
3.  Organic: In the digital environment, a lead can reach a website by clicking on search engine results. For instance, if a lead searches for a specific college in a search engine and clicks on a search result that directly takes them to the college's website without any detours , and submits their unique email ID that lead is mapped as "Organic."
4. Social: When a lead visits the website and is directed from social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., that lead is categorized and marked under the "Social" category.
5. Referral: In simple terms, referral traffic refers to marking visits to a website that come from external sources.
   In the context of Meritto, the term "referral" is defined slightly differently:
   
1. A lead is considered as referral when they arrive on the website without any specific UTM source information and without coming through organic search.
   
2. If the dynamic tracking code is not properly placed or functioning, then the lead is mapped under "Referral."
   
6. Direct: When a lead directly enters a website's page by manually typing the URL into the browser's address bar or by using bookmarks, it is categorized as "Direct" traffic.
7. Others: At Meritto, when a lead arrives at the website by clicking on a link that is not recognized or defined in the system, that lead is categorized as "Others."
   Similarly, in other scenarios, if a lead enters the system using various UTM parameters and submits a unique email ID, it is also classified under the "Other channels" category.
8.  Telephony: Telephony in the lead owner module involves the process of entering new leads after a telephonic conversation with them. To be categorized under Telephony, the lead owner must have a conversation with the lead and then enter their unique email ID and mobile number into the system. If there is no telephonic conversation between the lead owner and the lead, the entry will not be marked under the Telephony bucket.
9.  Offline: Whenever a lead is uploaded through an offline method, it is categorized and marked under the "Offline" section. This indicates that the lead was not acquired through online channels but instead added to the system using an offline process.
10. Chat: Meritto's chatbot, Niaa, plays a significant role in lead interactions. When a lead engages with Niaa and provides their details, such as a unique email ID, this interaction is recorded and categorized under the "Chat" section. It allows the system to keep track of leads generated through Niaa's conversations.

Important

1. Proper source attribution is established, enabling us to identify the origin of leads accurately.
2. It provides a clear understanding of the effectiveness of each traffic channel in terms of Return on Investment.

Conclusion

Understanding and accurately mapping Traffic Channels is essential for tracking the true origin of your leads in Meritto. Whether a lead comes from online campaigns, organic search, social media, or offline methods, categorizing them correctly helps in precise attribution, better ROI analysis, and more informed decision-making. Properly structured traffic data ultimately supports more strategic marketing and efficient lead management.